49ers CB Richard Sherman named the NFL’s 13th-best player from 2019 by PFF

A couple of years ago, Richard Sherman’s career appeared to be going downhill. The cornerback had suffered a torn Achilles midway through the 2017 campaign with the Seattle Seahawks, and that ensuing offseason, the Seahawks allowed him to walk to the San Francisco 49ers via free agency as a result.

Given that a torn Achilles is generally considered one of the worst possible injuries that a professional athlete can have, many wondered if Sherman would ever be the same.

His first season with the 49ers did not exactly inspire much confidence, either, as he played in 14 games and logged 37 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and four passes defended, marking the first time in his NFL career that he did not record an interception.

However, this past season, Sherman bounced back in a big way, appearing in 15 contests and registering 61 tackles, three picks, 11 passes defended and a defensive touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl selection.

The 31-year-old was so good, as a matter of fact, that Pro Football Focus says he was the 13th-best player in the league in 2019.

Sherman, who played his collegiate football at Stanford, was originally selected by Seattle in the fifth round (154th pick overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft.

It didn’t take him long to stamp his name among the best cornerbacks in football, as he earned a First-Team All-Pro selection as soon as his second season.

Overall, Sherman had made five Pro Bowl appearances while notching First-Team All-Pro honors three times. He has also played in three Super Bowls, most recently in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.

Of course, Sherman appeared in a pair of Super Bowls with the Seahawks, winning a championship in February 2014.